MISSIONARY  HEROES  COURSE 

LIFE  STORIES  OF  GREAT  MISSIONARIES  FOR 

TEEN  AGE  BOYS 

ARRANGED  IN  PROGRAMS 


Marcus  Whitman 

Hero  of  the  Oregon  Country 


SOURCE  BOOK 

“WINNING  THE  OREGON  COUNTRY” 

By  JOHN  T.  FARTS 


Program  Prepared  by 

FLOYD  L.  CARR 


Course  No.  1 


unnm 


Marcus  Whitman 


Country 


SOURCE  BOOK 


“Winning  the  Oregon  Country” 
By  John  T.  Faris 


Baptist  Board  of  Education 

DEPARTMENT  OF  MISSIONARY  EDUCATION 
276  Fifth  Avenue,  New  York  City 


OUTLINE 


PAGE 


Introductory  Statement  . 

Program  for  Meeting  . 

Life  Sketch  . 

Life  Incidents  . 

Program  based  upon  Winning  the  Oregon  Country 

by  John  T.  Faris 
The  Westminster  Press,  $1.00 


FOREWORD 


HE  Missionary  Heroes  Course  for  Boys  meets  a  real  need. 


A  It  is  a  series  of  missionary  programs  for  boys  based  on  great 
biographies  which  every  boy  should  know.  Course  Number  One, 
now  available,  provides  programs  for  the  ensuing  twelve  months 
and  may  be  used  in  the  monthly  meetings  of  boys’  groups. 
Other  courses  are  in  preparation  and  will  be  issued  for  subse¬ 
quent  years. 

It  is  suggested  that  the  leader  purchase  three  copies  of  each 
leaflet ;  one  to  be  kept  for  reference  and  the  other  two  to  be 
cut  up  to  provide  each  boy  with  his  assigned  part.  In  order  to 
tie  together  the  life  incidents  as  they  are  presented  by  the  boys, 
the  leader  should  master  the  facts  outlined  in  the  biographical 
sketch  and  read  carefully  the  volume  upon  which  the  program 
is  based.  These  volumes  are  missionary  classics  and  may  be 
made  the  basis  of  a  worth-while  library  of  Christian  adventure. 

Boys  are  keenly  interested  in  stories  of  adventure  and 
achievement  and  it  is  hoped  that  participation  in  the  programs 
will  lead  many  of  the  lads  to  read  these  great  missionary  biog¬ 
raphies.  Attention  is  called  to  the  eleven  other  life-story  pro-  * 
grams  in  the  series  now  available  for  Course  Number  One,  and 
to  the  series  now  in  preparation  for  the  ensuing  year,  both  of 
which  are  listed  on  the  last  page.  The  books  upon  which  these 
programs  are  based  can  be  ordered  from  the  nearest  literature 
headquarters.  Portraits  of  these  missionary  heroes  will  also  be 
made  available  for  purchase. 

While  these  programs  have  been  developed  to  meet  the  needs 
of  boys’  organizations  of  all  types — i.e.,  Organized  Classes,  Boy 
Scouts,  Knights  of  King  Arthur,  Kappa  Sigma  Pi,  etc. — they 
were  especially  prepared  for  the  chapters  of  the  Royal  Ambas¬ 
sadors ,  a  missionary  organization  for  teen  age  boys,  originating 
in  the  southland  and  recently  adapted  to  the  needs  of  the  North¬ 
ern  Baptist  Convention  by  the  Department  of  Missionary  Edu¬ 
cation.  We  commend  these  materials  to  all  lovers  of  boys. 


William  A.  Hill. 


-n  co  to 


PROGRAM  FOR  MEETING 


1.  Scripture  Reading :  Isaiah  35  :8-10,  40  :3-5  :  This  prophetic 
picture  of  “The  King’s  Highway”  applies  with  especial 
significance  to  the  pioneer  leadership  of  Marcus  Whitman. 

2.  Prayer. 

3.  Hymn:  “My  Country  ’Tis  of  Thee.”  Our  national  hymn 
may  fittingly  be  used  by  reason  of  the  patriotic  loyalty  of 
Marcus  Whitman  in  his  determination  to  hold  Oregon  for 
the  Union. 

4.  Introduction  to  the  Life  Story*  (based  upon  pages  1-68  of 
“Winning  the  Oregon  Country”  by  John  T.  Paris.) 

5.  Whitman  Wins  a  AVife  and  Co-Workers  (page  69-72). 

6.  The  Old  Historic  Wagon  (pages  75-78). 

7.  A  Notable  Celebration  of  the  Fourth  of  July  (pages  79-81). 

8.  A  Cheering  AVelcome  (pages  83-85). 

9.  Choosing  Fields  of  Labor  (pages  85-87). 

10.  Laying  Foundations  (pages  112-114,  116). 

11.  Whitman  Hears  the  Call  of  Duty  (pages  174-176). 

12.  Starting  on  the  Historic  Ride  (pages  176-178). 

13.  Crossing  the  Rio  Grande  (pages  179-180). 

14.  Marcus  Whitman  at  Washington  (pages  182-183). 

15.  Leading  New  Settlers  to  Oregon  (pages  183-184). 

16.  Crossing  the  Snake  River  (pages  184-186). 

17.  The  Massacre  by  the  Cayuse  Indians  (pages  196-199). 

*  The  leader  should  read  both  the  brief  sketch  in  this  leaflet,  the  “Story  of  Marcus 

Whitman,”  by  J.  G  Craighead,  Westminster  Press,  $1.25,  and  “ Winning  the  Oregon 

Country,”  by  John  T.  Faris,  in  order,  as  the  program  progresses,  to  fill  in  the  gaps 

between  the  assignments. 


3 


SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF 
MARCUS  WHITMAN 


MARCUS  WHITMAN  was  born  at  Rusliville,  now  Gorhem, 
N.  Y.,  September  4,  1802.  His  parents  were  devout 
Christians  and  from  them  he  caught  the  spiritual  impulse. 
He  studied  medicine  at  the  Berkshire  Medical  College  and  at 
the  age  of  thirty-three  responded  to  the  call  of  the  American 
Board  of  Commissioners  for  leaders  for  the  far  west. 

He  left  home  in  February,  1835,  with  Rev.  Samuel  Parker 
on  an  exploring  tour,  passing  through  St.  Louis  and  finally 
crossing  the  Rocky  Mountains.  It  was  decided  that  Parker 
should  continue  and  that  he  should  return  for  reinforcements. 
By  November  he  had  reached  his  home  in  western  New  York 
and  early  the  next  spring  he  set  forth  in  a  covered  wagon 
accompanied  by  his  wife,  Narcissa  Prentiss  and  Dr.  and  Mrs. 
Henry  H.  Spalding. 

On  July  4,  1836,  the  party  passed  the  crest  of  the  Rockies 
and  pausing  at  the  place  termed  Pacific  Spring ,  so  named 
because  the  waters  flowed  westward  to  the  Pacific,  they  unfurled 
the  Stars  and  Stripes  to  the  breeze  and  knelt  in  solemn  prayer. 
Thus  these  sturdy  pioneers  dedicated  the  Oregon  Country  to 
God  and  claimed  it  for  America. 

Delayed  again  and  again  by  the  heavy  wagon,  yet  impressed 
by  its  strategic  importance  in  relation  to  the  future  settlement 
of  the  Oregon  Country,  they  slowly  made  their  way  westward. 
Fort  Hall  and  the  Snake  River  seemed  impassable  barriers, 
but  each  in  turn  was  passed.  When  they  arrived  at  Fort  Boise, 
Idaho,  they  left  the  wagon  there  until  the  next  spring. 

On  September  1,  1836,  they  reached  Fort  Walla  Walla  and 
received  a  royal  welcome.  The  Nez  Perces  Indians,  whose 
deputation  to  St.  Louis  in  October  1832  had  been  the  means 
of  enlisting  these  brave  pioneers,  also  gave  them  a  hearty 
welcome.  Eleven  days  later  they  arrived  at  Fort  Van¬ 
couver,  the  headquarters  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company,  where 
they  took  counsel  and  secured  provisions.  Henry  Spalding 
settled  at  Lapwai  on  the  Clearwater  River  among  the  Nez 


4 


Perces  and  Marcus  Whitman  at  Wai-i-lat-pu  on  the  Walla  Walla 
River,  among  the  Cayuse  Indians. 

At  Wai-i-lat-pu,  “the  place  of  the  rye  grass,”  the  Cayuse 
Indians  had  set  apart  640  acres  of  their  land,  enclosed  by  two 
branches  of  the  Walla  Walla  River.  Here,  Whitman,  with  the 
help  of  his  teamsters,  erected  a  comfortable  house.  On  Decem¬ 
ber  10,  Mrs.  Whitman  arrived  from  Vancouver  and  in  a  short 
time  had  opened  a  school  for  the  children,  in  addition  to  her 
household  duties.  The  Doctor  gave  the  Indians  an  example 
in  industry,  cultivating  his  land,  and  erecting  a  grist  mill  in 
addition  to  his  medical  ministry. 

On  October  3,  1842,  Whitman  started  on  his  historic  ride 
to  save  Oregon  to  the  Union.  The  Hudson  Bay  Company  had 
encouraged  Canadian  immigration  with  the  view  to  claiming 
possession  through  the  preponderance  of  Canadian  settlers.  The 
hour  had  come  to  persuade  Congress  to  act  and  to  stimulate 
Americans  to  take  up  the  fertile  valleys.  The  ride  would  re¬ 
quire  five  months  in  the  dead  of  the  winter,  the  drifted  snow 
making  the  trails  almost  impassable.  When  his  associates  sought 
to  deter  him  by  stressing  the  grave  hazards,  he  replied:  “My 
life  is  of  little  worth  if  I  can  save  this  country  to  the  American 
people.”  By  a  happy  inspiration  he  decided  to  pass  south 
between  the  two  great  mountain  ranges  by  way  of  Fort  Unitah 
(in  northern  Utah),  to  the  southern  gap  and  thence  eastward 
by  the  Santa  Fe  Trail. 

Deep  snows,  terrible  cold,  hostile  Indians,  and  seemingly 
impassable  rivers  barred  his  way,  but  his  indomitable  spirit 
carried  him  through  and  on  March  3,  1843,  he  arrived  in  Wash¬ 
ington,  President  Tyler  granted  him  an  interview  and  his 
self-sacrificing  heroism  and  eloquent  facts  won  the  day.  The 
statesmen  at  Washington  were  convinced  by  his  arguments, 
gave  approval  to  a  great  migration  of  settlers  and  opened  nego¬ 
tiations  with  Great  Britain  which  resulted,  on  August  5,  1846, 
in  the  unfurling  of  the  Stars  and  Stripes  over  the  Oregon 
Country. 

The  summer  of  1843  witnessed  a  vast  migration  of  American 
settlers  from  the  mid-west  to  the  Oregon  Country.  Their  safe 
and  successful  journey  was  largely  due  to  the  judgment  and 
ability  of  Marcus  Whitman,  and  in  the  fall  one  hundred  wagons 
rolled  into  Walla  Walla  Valley  bringing  1,000  settlers  as  rein¬ 
forcements.  The  rapid  increase  of  the  white  settlers  and  the 
misrepresentations  of  the  French  Canadian  immigrants  aroused 
the  enmity  of  the  Indians  and  culminated  in  a  terrible  massacre 
on  November  29,  1847.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Whitman,  two  adopted 


5 


children  and  ten  immigrants  were  cruelly  slain  by  some  of 
the  very  Indians  to  whom  the  Whitmans  had  rendered  especial 
service.  The  settlers  eventually  rescued  the  captives  and  ex¬ 
ecuted  the  treacherous  leaders.  The  Wai-i-lat-pu  mission  was 
broken  up  by  the  uprising,  but  ultimately  Whitman  College 
was  reared  on  the  mission  property.  Through  the  heroism  of 
Marcus  Whitman  and  his  associates,  the  Oregon  Country  has 
become,  increasingly,  a  Christian  stronghold.  Largely  a  result 
of  his  devotion,  this  rich  northwest  empire  has  been  held  for  the 
Union  and  now  for  Christ,  All  honor  the  name  of  Marcus 
Whitman ! 


INCIDENTS  IN  THE  LIFE  OF 
MARCUS  WHITMAN 

Reprinted  from  “Winning  the  Oregon  Country,” 

by  John  T.  Faris, 

by  permission  of  the  publishers,  The  Westminster  Press. 

Whitman  Wins  a  Wife  and  Co-Workers.  ( P .  69-72.) 

Narcissa  Prentiss  had  promised  Marcus  Whitman  that 
she  would  some  day  be  his  wife,  but  he  hesitated  to  ask  her  to 
take  the  long*  journey  to  Oregon.  He  told  her  his  reasons.  The 
way  was  long  and  rough.  There  were  no  railroads,  it  was  only 
six  years  since  the  building  of  the  first  railroad  in  the  East. 
Where  they  were  going  they  would  have  to  use  canoes  or  horses; 
many  times  they  would  have  to  walk.  Indians  would  be  all  about 
them  and  Indians  who  had  learned  to  dread  the  white  man 
might  prove  dangerous  .neighbors. 

Narcissa  Prentiss  laughed  at  the  fears  of  her  lover,  and 
said  she  would  go  with  him,  of  course. 

But  she  would  be  lonely  if  there  was  not  another  woman 
in  the  party,  so  the  marriage  was  postponed  till  Dr.  Whitman 
could  find  a  husband  and  wife  willing  to  go  with  them.  For 
a  while  his  search  was  in  vain.  Then  he  heard  of  Dr.  TI.  H. 
Spalding  and  his  young  bride,  who  were  about  to  go  as  mission¬ 
aries  to  the  Osage  Indians,  on  their  reservation  in  Northern 
New  York.  He  tried  to  reach  the  young  people,  but  learned 
that  they  had  already  started  for  their  new  home.  Whitman 
jumped  into  his  sleigh  and  started  after  them.  After  a  long- 
pursuit  he  came  up  with  them,  during  a  blinding  snow-storm. 
There  was  no  time  for  a  lengthy  introduction,  so  he  shouted : 

“Ship  ahoy!  You  are  wanted  for  Oregon!” 

The  surprised  travelers  stopped. 

Dr.  Spalding  called : 

“What  do  you  want?” 

“It  is  too  cold  to  explain  here,”  Dr.  Whitman  answered. 
“Drive  back  with  me  to  the  inn  at  Howard,  and  I’ll  tell  you 
the  whole  story.” 

Soon  the  three  people  were  seated  before  the  blazing  fire 
in  the  inn.  A  hundred  questions  were  asked  and  answered. 
The  story  of  the  Nez  Perces’  hunger  for  the  gospel  was  told 


7 


and  a  brief  account  of  the  exploring  trip  made  by  Whitman 
and  Parker  the  year  before  was  given. 

“I  have  promised  to  go  back  this  spring,7’  Whitman  con¬ 
tinued.  “I  am  to  be  married  as  soon  as  I  return  home.  Then 
we  are  to  go  out  to  Missouri  where  we  are  to  join  the  fur 
traders  till  we  are  met  by  the  Nez  Perces,  who  will  show  us 
the  way  to  our  new  home.  We’ll  live  on  buffalo  and  venison, 
we’ll  travel  on  horseback,  we’ll  spend  the  nights  in  tents  or 
rolled  in  our  blankets  on  the  ground.  Will  you  go  with  us?” 

Mr.  Spalding  wanted  to  say  yes,  but  he  feared  for  his 
wife’s  health.  She  had  recently  recovered  from  a  long  sickness. 
So  he  said  to  her : 

“It  is  not  your  duty  to  go;  your  health  forbids.  But  it 
shall  be  left  to  you  after  we  have  prayed  together.” 

After  all  had  prayed,  Mrs.  Spalding  went  off  by  herself 
to  decide  the  question  of  her  duty.  Ten  minutes  later  she 
returned,  her  face  shining,  and  said : 

“I  have  made  up  my  mind  for  Oregon.” 

Her  husband  asked  her  if  she  understood  what  her  decision 
involved.  He  reminded  her  of  the  perilh  of  the  three  thousand 
mile  journey,  and  the  loneliness  of  the  far-away  home.  But 
she  was  firm.  Her  only  answer  was  in  the  words  used  by 
Paul  when  friends  tried  to  keep  him  back  from  Rome : 

“What  mean  ye  to  weep  and  to  break  mine  heart?  for  I  am 
ready  not  to  be  bound  only,  but  also  to  die  (on  the  Rocky  Moun¬ 
tains)  for  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus.” 

The  Old  Historic  Wagon.  ( P .  75-78.) 

The  experienced  plainsmen  shook  their  heads  when  they 
saw  the  wagons,  and  said  it  would  be  impossible  to  take  them 
across  the  mountains.  But  Dr.  Whitman  insisted  that  they 
must  go.  He  was  not  thinking  merely  of  the  comfort  of  those 
who  would  use  them,  but  more  of  the  great  importance  of 
proving  to  the  world  that  a  wagon  could  be  taken  to  Oregon. 
He  was  looking  forward  to  the  day  when  there  would  be  in 
that  country  more  white  people  than  Indians,  to  be  taught 
of  God.  Yet  men  and  women  would  be  prevented  from  making 
the  journey  by  the  statement  that,  it  was  impossible  to  colonize 
Oregon  by  wagons.  An  English  editor  had  said  that  American 
wagons  could  not  go  to  the  Columbia  River,  and  Americans 
were  believing  him.  It  was  Dr.  Whitman’s  purpose  to  show 
the  doubters  that  they  were  wrong.  So  he  carried  a  wagon 
through  with  him  to  the  Pacific  slope,  and  thus  he  did  what 


8 


has  been  called  one  of  the  most  important  things  for  the  whole 
future  of  Oregon. 

The  traders  shrugged  their  shoulders  when  “the  silent 
Whitman”  said  the  wagon  must  go  along.  They  said,  “I  told 
you  so,”  when  one  night,  in  a  bit  of  rough  country,  he  fell 
behind  with  his  beloved  wagon,  and  came  into  camp  “late, 
*  warm,  puffing,  and  cheery,  too,  for  he  had  had  onty  one  upset.” 

The  Indians  were  much  interested  in  the  first  wheeled  vehicle 
they  had  ever  seen.  “They  put  into  jerky  syllables  the  sounds 
it  made  as  it  rose  and  fell  and  stopped  in  the  soft  grass  and 
among  the  rocks,  and  called  it  ‘  Chick-chick-shan-i-le-kai-kash. 9  ” 
Do  not  those  syllables  remind  you  of  the  creaking  of  a  wagon? 

Through  canyons,  along  creek  beds,  up  rocky  precipices,  the 
wagon  was  pushed  and  hauled.  Many  times  it  was  overturned, 
but  still  the  Doctor  would  not  listen  to  those  who  urged  him  to 
abandon  it.  At  last,  when  the  way  became  too  rough  for  four 
wheels,  he  made  the  wagon  into  a  cart,  added  the  extra  wheels 
to  the  load,  and  pushed  on.  He  was  compelled  to  leave  the  cart 
at  Fort  Boise,  and  it  probably  remained  there. 

Dr.  Whitman  had  triumphed,  and  those  who  said  colonists 
could  never  go  to  the  Oregon  Country  were  effectively  answered. 

‘ ‘  The  work  was  done,  substantially.  The  wagon  and  the  two 
brides,  Mrs.  Whitman  and  Mrs.  Spalding,  had  won  Oregon.  The 
first  w7heels  had  marked  the  prairie  and  brushed  the  sage,  and 
grazed  the  rocks,  and  cut  the  river  banks  all  the  way  from  the 
Missouri  to  the  Columbia.  How  many  ten  thousands  have  since 
been  on  the  trail  with  their  long  lines  of  white-topped  canvas 
teams!  The  first  wrhite  woman  had  crossed  the  continent,  and  not 
only  witnessed  but  achieved  the  victory.  .  .  .  Oregon  is 

already  practically  won.  In  going  through,  Whitman’s  wagon 
had  demonstrated  that  women  and  children  and  household  goods 
— the  fami.lv — could  be  carried  over  the  plains  and  mountains 
to  Oregon.” 

A  Notable  Celebration  of  the  Fourth  of  July.  ( P .  79- 
81.) 

When,  on  July  4,  1836,  the  missionaries  were  at  last  over 
the  crest  of  the  Rockies,  twenty-five  hundred  miles  from  home, 
they  paused,  spread  their  blankets,  unfurled  the  American  flag, 
and  knelt  in  thankful  prayer  to  dedicate  to  God  the  Oregon 
Country.  With  what  astonishment  the  three  Indian  boys  must 
have  beheld  the  scene !  The  act  meant  more  than  the  missionaries 
ever  knew.  One  historian  of  Oregon  says  that  it  went  far  toward 
giving  to  the  United  States  six  thousand  miles  of  Pacific  coast. 


9 


After  this  notable  Fourth  of  July  celebration,  the  march 
was  resumed.  Word  of  the  advance  of  the  caravan  had  been 
taken  by  Indian  scouts  to  a  party  of  trappers  and  Indians  who 
w^ere  encamped  on  the  banks  of  the  Green  River.  “This  exhil- 
irating  news  immediately  inspired  some  of  the  trappers,  foremost 
among  whom  was  Meek,  with  a  desire  to  be  the  first  to  meet 
and  greet  the  oncoming  caravan  and  especially  to  salute  the  two 
white  women  who  were  bold  enough  to  invade  a  mountain  camp. 
In  a  very  short  time  Meek,  with  half-a-dozen  comrades,  and  ten 
or  a  dozen  Nez  Perces,  were  mounted  and  away  on  their  self- 
imposed  errand  of  welcome;  the  trappers  because  they  were 
1  spoiling’  for  a  fresh  excitement  ;  and  the  Nez  Perces  because 
the  missionaries  were  bringing  them  information  concerning  the 
powerful  and  beneficent  Deity  of  the  white  men.” 

On  the  Fourth  of  July,  “about  two  days’  travel  from  camp, 
the  caravan  of  the  advancing  company  was  discovered,  and  the 
trappers  prepared  to  give  them  a  characteristic  greeting.  To 
prevent  mistakes  in  recognizing  them,  a  white  flag  was  hoisted 
on  one  of  their  guns,  and  the  wrord  was  given  to  start.  Then 
over  the  brow  of  a  hill  they  made  their  appearance,  riding  with 
that  mad  speed  only  an  Indian  or  a  trapper  can  ride,  yelling, 
whooping,  darting  forward  with  frantic  and  threatening  gestures ; 
their  dress,  noise,  and  motions  all  so  completely  savage  that  the 
white  men  could  not  have  been  distinguished  from  the  red. 

“The  uninitiated  travelers,  believing  they  were  about  to  be 
attacked  by  Indians,  prepared  for  defense,  nor  could  they  be 
persuaded  that  the  preparation  was  unnecessary,  until  the  guide 
pointed  out  to  them  the  white  flag  in  advance.  At  the  assurance 
that  the  flag  betokened  friends,  every  movement  of  the  wild 
brigade  became  fascinating.  On  they  came,  riding  faster  and 
faster,  yelling  louder  and  louder,  and  gesticulating  more  and 
more  madly,  until,  as  they  met  and  passed  the  caravan,  they 
discharged  their  guns  in  one  volley  over  the  heads  of  the 
company ;  and  suddenly  wheeling  rode  back  to  the  front  as  wildly 
as  they  had  come.  Nor  could  their  first  brief  display  content  the 
crazy  cavalcade.  After  reaching  the  front,  they  rode  back  and 
forth,  and  around  and  around  the  caravan,  which  had  returned 
their  salute,  showing  off  their  feats  of  horsemanship,  and  the 
knowing  tricks  of  their  horses  together;  hardly  stopping  to  ex¬ 
change  questions  and  answers,  but  seeming  really  intoxicated 
with  delight  at  the  meeting.  What  strange  emotions  filled  the 
breasts  of  the  lady  missionaries,  when  they  beheld  the  Indians 
among  whom  their  lot  was  to  be  cast,  may  now  be  faintly  outlined 
by  vivid  imagination,  but  have  never  been,  perhaps  never  could 
be,  put  into  words!” 


10 


A  Cheering  Welcome.  ( P .  83-85.) 

“When  the  trappers  and  Nez  Perces  had  slaked  their  thirst 
for  excitement  by  a  few  hours’  travel  in  company  with  the  Fur 
Company’s  and  missionaries’  caravan,  they  gave  at  length  a 
parting  display  of  horsemanship,  and  dashed  off  on  the  return 
trail  to  carry  to  camp  the  earliest  news.  It  wras  on  their  arrival 
in  camp  that  the  Nez  Perces  and  Flathead  village,  which  had  its 
encampment  at  the  rendezvous-ground  on  Green  River,  began 
to  make  preparations  for  the  reception  of  the  missionaries.  It 
was  then  that  Indian  finery  was  displayed !  Then  the  Indian 
women  combed  and  braided  their  long  black  hair,  tying  the  plaits 
with  gay-colored  ribbons,  and  the-  Indian  braves  tied  anew  their 
streaming  scalp-locks,  sticking  them  full  of  flaunting  eagle’s 
plumes,  and  not  despising  a  bit  of  ribbon,  either.  Paint  was  in 
demand  both  for  the  rider  and  his  horse.  Gay  blankets,  red  and 
blue,  buckskin  fringed  shirts,  worked  with  beads  and  porcupine 
quills,  and  handsomely  embroidered  moccasins,  were  eagerly 
sought  after.  Guns  were  cleaned  and  burnished,  and  drums  and 
fifes  were  put  in  tune. 

“After  a  day  of  toilsome  preparation  all  was  ready  for  the 
grand  reception  in  the  camp  of  the  Nez  Perces.  Word  was  at 
length  given  that  the  caravan  was  in  sight.  There  was  a  rush  for 
horses,  and  in  a  few  moments  the  Indians  were  mounted  and  in 
line,  ready  to  charge  on  the  advancing  caravan.  When  the  com¬ 
mand  of  the  chiefs  was  given  to  start,  a  simultaneous  chorus  of 
yells  and  whoops  burst  forth,  accompanied  bv  the  deafening  din 
of  the  war-drums,  the  discharge  of  firearms,  and  the  clatter  of 
the  whole  cavalcade,  which  was  at  once  in  a  mad  gallop  toward 
the  oncoming  train.  Nor  did  the  yelling,  whooping,  drumming, 
and  firing  cease  until  within  a  few  yards  of  the  train.” 

Then  came  the  formal  greeting  of  the  missionaries.  They 
were  welcomed  to  the  best  in  the  camp.  Mrs.  Whitman  and 
Mrs.  Spalding  soon  won  all  hearts. 

The  Indians  were  not  alone  in  their  joy.  Hardy  frontiersmen, 
who  had  not  seen  a  white  woman  for  years,  looked  reverently 
on  the  faces  of  the  two  brides.  Years  later  one  of  them  said, 
“From  that  day  when  I  took  again  the  hand  of  a  civilized  woman, 
I  was  a  better  man.”  And  a  trapper  said,  “There  is  something 
the  royal  Hudson  Bay  Company  and  its  masters  can’t  drive  out 
of  Oregon.”  He  knew  the  coming  of  the  two  women  meant  the 
dawn  of  civilization, 


11 


Choosing  Fields  of  Labor.  (P.  85-87.) 

The  Nez  Perces  were  loath  to  see  their  new  friends  go  on 
to  the  Pacific,  but  Marcus  Whitman  thought  it  best  to  have  a 
talk  with  Dr.  McLoughlin  at  Fort  Vancouver.  One  old  chief, 
when  he  saw  that  they  were  determined  to  go,  decided  to  go 
with  them,  though  his  absence  from  home  just  at  this  time  meant 
his  doing  without  his  winter’s  supply  of  buffalo  meat. 

Pausing  only  at  Fort  Walla  Walla  where  Mrs.  Whitman  re¬ 
joiced  in  a  meal  of  fresh  salmon,  potatoes,  tea,  bread,  and  butter, 
and  in  the  sound  of  a  rooster’s  crow,  the  missionaries  pushed  on 
to  Vancouver,  arriving  there  September  12,  1836,  almost  two 
years  after  the  coming  of  Jason  Lee. 

The  great-hearted  Dr.  McLoughlin  welcomed  these  travelers 
as  he  had  welcomed  their  predecessors,  persuaded  the  women 
to  remain  at  the  fort  while  their  husbands  went  back  to  find  loca¬ 
tions  and  build  houses,  and  freely  offered  to  help  the  men  in  any 
way  he  could. 

In  a  few  days  Dr.  Whitman  fixed  his  eyes  on  a  place  for  his 
mission  on  the  banks  of  the  Walla  AValla,  among  the  Cayuse. 
lie  called  the  mission  Wai-i-lat-pu,  the  Indian  name  for  the  spot. 
Dr.  Spalding  and  Mr.  Gray  went  one  hundred  and  twenty-five 
miles  farther  east  to  Lapwai  Creek,  near  the  site  of  what  is  now 
Lewiston,  Idaho.  There,  among  the  Nez  Perces,  ground  was 
marked  off  for  a  mission. 

For  three  weeks  the  men  lived  in  a  buffalo  skin  tent;  then 
they  moved  into  a  log  house,  forty-eight  by  eighteen  feet,  which 
the  eager  Indians  had  helped  them  to  build.  The  logs  had  to  be 
carried  from  the  river,  three  miles  away,  and  it  took  twelve 
Indians  to  carry  one  log.  But  there  was  no  lack  of  workers.  One 
third  of  the  new  house  was  set  aside  for  living  quarters;  the  rest 
was  to  be  schoolroom,  Indian  boarding-house,  and  church. 

Thus  the  appeal  of  the  chiefs  at  St.  Louis  had  led  to  the 
opening  of  three  stations;  Jason  Lee  was  on  the  Willamette, 
Whitman  was  at  Wai-i-lat-pu  on  the  Walla  Walla,  and  Spalding 
was  at  Lapwai  on  the  Clearwater. 

Laying  Foundations.  (P.  112-114 ,  110.) 

For  six  weeks  the  five  men  had  toiled  before  they  had  built 
a  house  of  one  large  room  whose  open  fireplace  was  ready  to 
glow  with  welcoming  heat  for  the  visitor,  or,  first  of  all,  for  the 
wife,  without  whom  the  house  would  never  be  anything  more 
than  a  house.  But  when  Mrs.  Whitman  entered  the  door,  the 
house  became  a  home. 


12 


How  good  the  first  breakfast  prepared  in  that  place  by  a 
woman’s  hands  must  have  tasted,  when  next  morning  the  men 
gathered  about  the  rude  table!  With  what  joy,  before  the  meal 
was  begun,  heads  were  bowed  in  reverent  acknowledgment  of 
God’s  goodness! 

After  the  dishes  had  been  cleared  away  Mrs.  Whitman  began 
to  look  about  her,  at  the  furnishings  of  her  home.  There  were 
“chairs  rudely  made  with  skins  stretched  across  them;  table 
made  of  four  posts  covered  with  boards  sawed  by  hand ;  stools 
made  of  logs  sawed  of  proper  length ;  pegs  along  the  walls  upon 
which  to  hang  the  clothing,  nails  being  too  expensive  a  luxury ; 
beds  fastened  to  the  walls,  and  filled  with  dried  grass  and  leaves.  ’  ’ 

Then  she  went  to  the  door  and  looked  out  over  the  grounds 
about  the  cabin,  and  the  river  whose  waters  glistened  in  the 
morning  sunlight.  Her  eyes  filled  with  the  happy  tears  of  grat¬ 
itude  which  found  expression  at  once,  as  she  took  up  the  journal 
which  had  been  her  companion  on  the  journey  from  New  York, 
and  wrote : 

“We  reached  our  new  home  December  10th,  found  a  house 
reared,  and  the  lean-to  inclosed,  a  good  chimney  and  fireplace, 
and  the  floor  laid,  but  no  windows  or  doors,  except  blankets. 
My  heart  truly  leaped  for  joy  as  I  alighted  from  my  horse, 
entered,  and  seated  myself  before  a  pleasant  fire,  for  it  was  night, 
and  the  air  chilly. 

“It  is  a  lovely  situation.  We  are  on  the  level  peninsula 
formed  by  the  two  branches  of  the  Walla  Walla  River.  Our 
house  stands  on  the  southeast  shore  of  the  main  river.  To  run 
a  fence  across,  from  river  to  river,  will  inclose  three  hundred 
acres  of  good  land,  and  all  under  the  eye.  Just  east  of  the  house 
rises  a  range  of  low  hills,  covered  with  bunch-grass  almost  as 
rich  as  oats  for  the  stock.  The  Indians  have,  named  the  place 
‘ Wai-i-lat-pu, ’  the  place  of  the  rye  grass.” 

The  missionaries  were  not  satisfied  to  tell  in  their  journals 
of  their  gratitude  to  God.  Morning  and  evening — beginning  on 
that  first  day  in  the  new  home — it  was  their  habit  to  gather  about 
the  family  altar.  Mrs.  Whitman’s  melodious  voice  was  a  great 
help  in  these  family  services.  There  were  soon  many  unexpected 
listeners  to  her  singing ;  the  Cayuse  would  steal  up  to  the  cabin 
in  their  effort  to  catch  every  sound.  They  could  not  understand 
the  words,  but  they  could  read  the  face  of  the  “white  squaw,” 
and  they  loved  her  at  once.  .  .  . 

Whitman  set  the  example  of  industry,  by  building  fences, 
plowing  the  virgin  soil,  building  a  house,  a  school,  and  a  stable, 
planting  an  orchard,  and  doing  the  thousand  and  one  other 
things  that  only  a  farmer  can  name.  The  Indians  watched  him 


13 


intently.  A  few  of  them  consented  to  follow  his  example.  He 
agreed  to  furnish  seed  to  each  man  who  would  sow  it,  and  he 
offered  to  show  him  how  to  prepare  the  land,  care  for  the  grow¬ 
ing  crops,  and  gather  the  harvest.  Within  a  few  years  a  score 
or  more  of  the  Indians  were  cultivating  from  one  fourth  of  an 
acre  to  four  acres  of  land,  some  had  as  many  as  seventy  head 
of  cattle,  and  some  of  them  owned  a  few  sheep.  As  one  result, 
the  winter  population  about  the  station,  which  had  at  first  been 
very  small,  was  nearly  as  large  as  the  summer  population. 

Whitman  Hears  the  Call  of  Duty.  ( P .  174-176 .) 

The  devoted  Whitman  was  vitally  interested  in  the  future 
of  the  country.  lie  had  come  out  from  the  East  as  a  missionary 
to  the  Indians,  -and  he  was  doing  his  best  to  give  the  gospel  to 
the  red  men.  But  he  knew  that  wrhite  men  would  come  who 
would  know  how  to  make  better  use  than  the  Indians  of  the 
fertile  valleys  and  the  mountains  rich  in  ore.  As  the  Indians 
gave  way  to  their  successors,  lie  would  have  to  change  his  method 
of  work  and  preach  and  teach  the  settlers.  Was  it  not  proper 
to  look  forward  to  this  time  and  by  every  means  in  his  power 
prepare  to  accomplish  his  task?  And  how  could  his  task  be  ac¬ 
complished  unless  the  United  States  should  be  in  control  of  the 
country  ? 

He  recalled  his  talk  with  the  missionaries  who  felt  just  as 
he  did.  In  his  mind  he  went  back  to  those  spring  days  in  1838 
when  he  had  gone  over  the  whole  ground  with  Jason  Lee,  who 
was  then  on  his  way  to  Washington  to  urge  Congress  to  take 
action  making  Oregon  American  territory.  Jason  Lee  had  re¬ 
turned  with  the  word  that  Congress  did  not  seem  ready  to  act, 
but  hopeful  that  it  would  do  so  before  it  was  too  late.  He  had 
inspired  others  with  the  same  hope,  and  their  hope  seemed  to 
be  well  grounded  because  of  the  company  of  fifty-one  whom  Lee 
had  piloted  back  with  him.  The  knowledge  that  of  the  one 
hundred  and  fifty  white  people  in  Oregon  the  Americans  had  a 
large  majority  had  caused  them  to  feel  secure.  And  when,  in 
1842,  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  more  Americans  came  in, 
it  seemed  that  the  land  was  won. 

But  Whitman  had  heard  of  the  coming  of  one  hundred  and 
fifty  British  subjects.  He  could  not  permit  himself  to  rest  longer 
in  fancied  security.  It  was  the  time  to  act,  and  to  act  decisively. 
Congress  must  grasp  Oregon  and  hold  it. 

How  could  Congress  be  persuaded  to  take  action?  Who 
.  could  write  a  letter  that  would  inspire  with  the  vision  of  the 
coming  West  the  men  who  lived  in  the  East?  And  how  could 


14 


the  letter  be  taken  to  Washington  in  time4?  Some  one  should  go 
to  Washington  at  once.  Who  would  go? 

The  questions  were  unanswerable — till  Marcus  Whitman  an¬ 
swered  them  by  saying  decisively : 

‘  ‘  I  will  go  !  ” 

He  consulted  his  wife.  She  said,  4 ‘Go!” 

He  talked  to  his  associates.  They,  too,  after  some  hesitation, 

7  7  7 

said  “Go!”  He  talked  to  General  Lovejoy,  who  had  come  out 
with  the  last  party  of  American  immigrants,  and  he  said,  “Go, 
and  I  will  go  with  you ! '  ’ 

Starting  on  the  Historic  Ride.  ( P .  170-178.) 

The  travelers  set  out  on  October  3,  1842,  taking  with  them 
a  number  of  Indians  who  were  to  guide  them  by  a  new  route 
over  the  mountains. 

As  Dr.  Marcus  Whitman  mounted  his  mule,  ready  to  begin 
his  long  ride  of  nearly  four  thousand  miles,  he  said : 

“My  life  is  of  little  worth  if  I  can  save  this  country  to  the 
American  people.” 

Those  who  heard  wondered  if  Whitman  would  indeed  pay 
for  his  trip  with  his  life.  It  was  already  late  in  the  autumn. 
He  would  have  to  travel  over  the  mountains  in  the  depth  of 
winter.  They  had  tried  to  persuade  him  to  wait  till  spring,  but 
his  answer  had  been  that  he  could  not  wait,  for  it  was  only  five 
months  till  Congress  would  adjourn.  He  knew  the  grave  danger 
of  the  winter  journey,  but  he  would  not  delay  because  of  danger. 
If  it  was  in  man’s  power  to  push  through  to  Washington,  he 
would  succeed. 

In  eleven  days  Whitman  was  at  Fort  Hall,  six  hundred  and 
forty-five  miles  on  his  way.  There  he  met  Captain  Grant,  a  man 
who,  six  years  before,  had  done  his  best  to  persuade  him  to  leave 
his  wagon  by  the  roadside.  Once  again  attempt  was  made  to 
discourage  him.  He  was  told  that  the  trip  he  proposed  was 
foolhardy  in  the  winter  season.  Snow  was  already  twenty  feet 
deep  in  the  mountains,  and  no  one  knew  how  much  deeper  it 
might  be.  Streams  would  be  raging  torrents.  How  could  he 
hope  to  survive  these  perils? 

But  Marcus  Whitman  only  smiled,  and  pressed  on.  The 
Indian  guides  returned  and  other  guides  were  secured  who  agreed 
to  lead  the  way  south  to  New  Mexico.  The  new  route  would  be 
much  longer,  but  the  region  of  snow  would  be  sooner  crossed. 
He  was  the  first  white  man  to  take  that  route,  and  a  new  way 
was  always  perilous.  But  he  must  be  in  Washington  before 
March  4,  when  Congress  would  adjourn. 


15 


Crossing  the  Rio  Grande .  ( P.  179-180 .) 

After  seven  days  Whitman  returned  with  the  new  guide, 
and  the  journey  was  resumed,  only  to  be  interrupted  again  by 
the  Rio  Grande,  six  hundred  feet  wide,  but  frozen  only  two 
two  hundred  feet  or  so  from  either  bank.  Even  in  the  summer 
season  this  is  one  of  the  most  treacherous  rivers  in  the  West. 
The  guide  said  the  open  stretch  of  water  could  not  be  crossed, 
but  Whitman  rode  his  horse  into  the  icy  flood.  Mr.  Lovejoy 
Avrote  in  his  journal : 

“Away  they  went  completely  under  water,  horse  and  all,  but 
directly  came  up,  and  after  buffeting  the  waves  and  foaming 
current,  he  made  for  the  ice  on  the  opposite  side,  a  long  way 
down  the  stream,  leaped  upon  the  ice  and  soon  had  his  noble 
animal  by  his  side.  The  guide  and  I  forced  in  the  pack-mule 
and  followed  the  Doctor’s  example,  and  were  soon  drying  our 
frozen  clothes  by  a  comfortable  fire.”  This  was  the  most  trying 
experience  of  the  journey.  But  there  were  more  storms,  and  more 
rivers  to  cross.  It  was  one  of  the  severest  winters  known.  If 
the  northern  route  had  been  taken  it  is  doubtful  if  Whitman 
would  ever  have  reached  the  Mississippi.  As  it  w7as,  feet  and 
hands  and  ears  were  frozen.  Again  and  again  it  seemed  that 
the  men  must  camp  and  wait  for  better  weather.  But  each  time 
Dr.  Whitman  argued,  “I  must  be  in  Washington  before 
March  4.” 


Mai  ' cus  Whitman  at  Washington.  (P.  182-183.) 

In  St.  Louis,  Whitman  learned  that  a  month  after  he  left 
Oregon,  the  Senate  had  confirmed  a  treaty  with  England  which 
arranged  about  a  bit  of  the  northeastern  portion  of  the  boundary 
line  between  Canada  and  the  United  States,  but  said  nothing 
about  Oregon.  Then  he  was  not  too  late !  With  grateful  heart 
he  hurried  on.  Mr.  Lovejoy  had  been  left  far  behind,  completely 
exhausted,  but  Whitman  could  not  rest,  for  he  must  reach  Wash¬ 
ington  before  March  4 ! 

Llis  determination  enabled  him  to  force  his  way  through 
many  obstacles,  and  he  did  finally  reach  Washington — on  March 
3,  1843 ! 

With  the  directness  of  a  man  who  knew  just  what  he  wanted, 
Whitman  pleaded  the  cause  of  Oregon.  He  urged  that  at  the 
very  first  opportunity  an  end  be  put  to  the  period  of  joint  occu¬ 
pation  with  Great  Britain,  and  that  the  laws  of  the  United  States 
be  put  in  force  in  the  territory.  He  spoke  of  his  regret  that 
Oregon  had  not  been  mentioned  in  the  treaty  recently  ratified, 


16 


but  lie  said  he  hoped  this  error  would  be  corrected  at  an  early 
date.  He  told  of  the  smiling,  fertile  land  that  was  waiting  for 
the  settler,  of  his  hope  that  settlers  would  come  from  America, 
and  of  his  feeling  that  none  would  come  till  there  was  a  stable 
government. 

Before  his  return  to  Oregon  he  put  in  writing  the  substance 
of  his  arguments,  outlined  a  plan  for  a  territorial  government 
under  the  United  States,  and  told  in  detail  of  a  practical  route 
for  immigrant  trains  across  the  plains  and  the  mountains.  The 
documents  were  forwarded  to  Washington. 

Leading  New  Settlers  to  Oregon.  (P.  183-184- ) 

At  once  Whitman  began  a  campaign  to  induce  immigrants 
to  return  with  him  to  Oregon  in  that  very  year.  He  was  so 
successful  that  a  large  company  was  gathered.  The  plans  for 
the  start  were  made  by  Whitman,  and  he  was  the  ever-present 
helper  of  the  travelers.  Dr.  Spalding  says  of  Whitman’s  activity 
on  the  trip  westward : 

‘ 1  He  was  the  ministering  angel  to  the  sick,  helping  the  w7eary, 
encouraging  the  wavering,  cheering  the  tired  mothers,  setting 
broken  bones,  and  mending  wagons.  He  was  in  the  front,  in  the 
center,  and  in  the  rear.  He  was  in  the  rivers  hunting  out  fords 
through  the  quicksand,  in  the  desert  places  looking  for  water 
and  grass,  among  the  mountains  hunting  for  passes  never  before 
trodden  by  white  men.  At  noontide  and  at  midnight  he  was 
on  the  alert  as  if  the  whole  line  was  his  own  family,  and  as  if 
all  the  flocks  and  herds  w7ere  his  own.  For  all  this  he  never 
asked  nor  expected  a  dollar  from  any  source,  and  especially  did 
he  feel  repaid  at  the  end,  when,  standing  at  his  mission  home, 
hundreds  of  his  fellow  pilgrims  took  him  by  the  hand  and  thanked 
him  with  tears  in  their  eyes  for  all  he  had  done.  ’  ’ 

At  Fort  Hall,  Captain  Grant,  the  servant  of  the  Hudson  Bay 
Company,  tried  to  discourage  the  settlers  from  taking  -their 
wagons  and  farm  tools  with  them.  He  pointed  to  a  yard  full 
of  wagons  and  tools  which  other  settlers  had  left  behind.  The 
immigrants  were  ready  to  do  as  he  asked,  till  Whitman  promised 
to  help  them  through  the  mountains,  wagons  and  all ! 

Crossing  the  Snake  River.  ( P .  184-186.) 

How  he  succeeded  in  the  task  he  set  himself  may  be 
judged  from  a  single  incident  of  the  way,  after  Fort  Hall  had 
been  left  behind : 

“When  the  immigrants  reached  the  Snake  River,  Dr.  Whit¬ 
man  proceeded  to  fasten  wagons  together  in  one  long  string, 


17 


the  strongest  in  the  lead.  As  soon  as  the  teams  were  in  posi¬ 
tion,  he  tied  a  rope  around  his  waist  and,  starting  his  horse 
into  the  current,  swam  over.  He  called  to  others  to  follow  him, 
and  when  they  had  force  enough  to  pull  at  the  rope,  the  lead 
•team  was  started  in,  and  all  were  drawn  over  in  safety;  as 
soon  as  the  leading  teams  were  able  to  get  foothold  on  the 
bottom,  all  was  safe,  as  they,  guided  by  the  strong  arms  of  the 
men  pulling  at  the  rope,  pulled  the  weaker  ones  along.” 

From  the  Snake  River  the  caravan — one  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  wagons,  one  thousand  head  of  cattle,  sheep,  and  horses, 
and  about  one  thousand  men,  women,  and  children  went  north¬ 
west,  through  the  Blue  Mountains  and  Grand  Ronde  and  on 
to  Wai-i-lat-pu. 

And  Oregon  was  won  for  the  United  States,  won  by  a 
peaceful  invasion.  The  immigrants,  delighted  by  their  new 
home,  wrote  home  telling  of  the  wonderful  country.  They 
Wrote  to  congressmen  and  senators,  urging  the  United  States 
to  make  Oregon  a  part  of  the  country.  Everywhere  there 
was  discussion  of  the  question:  “Do  we  want  Oregon?"  And 
at  last  Congress,  bowing  to  public  sentiment,  concluded  a  treaty 
with  Great  Britain  for  the  possession  of  the  land  already 
occupied. 

Thus,  on  August  5,  1846,  it  came  to  pass  that  the  Oregon 
Country — including  the  present  States  of  Washington,  Oregon, 
Idaho  and  parts  of  Montana  and  Wyoming,  more  than  thirty- 
four  times  as  much  territory  as  all  of  Massachusetts — found 
its  way  under  the  American  flag ! 

The  Massacre  by  the  Cay  use  Indians.  ( P .  106-11)0.) 

The  blow  fell  on  Monday  morning,  November  29,  1847. 
Marcus  Whitman  had  been  out  to  camp  helping  to  bury  an 
Indian.  When  he  returned  to  the  house  he  thought  nothing  of 
the  presence  there  of  several  Indians.  One  of  the  men  attracted 
his  attention  by  asking  for  medicine.  “Another  came  behind 
him  with  tomahawk  concealed  under  his  blanket  and  with  two 
blows  in  the  back  of  the  head,  brought  him  to  the  floor  senseless, 
probably,  but  not  lifeless;  soon  after,  Ti-lau-kait,  a  candidate  for 
admission  in  our  Church  came  in  and  beat  and  cut  Dr.  Whit¬ 
man’s  face  and  cut  his  throat;  but  lie  still  lingered  till  near 
night. 

“As  soon  as  the  firing  commenced  at  the  different  places, 
Mrs.  Hayes  ran  in  and  assisted  Mrs.  Whitman  in  taking  the 
Doctor  from  the  kitchen  to  the  sitting-room  and  placed  him 
upon  the  settee.  This  was  before  his  face  was  cut.  His  wife 


18 


bent  over  him  and  mingled  her  tears  with  his  blood.  It  was 
all  she  conld  do. 

‘ 4  John  Sager,  who  was  sitting  by  the  Doctor  when  he  re¬ 
ceived  the  first  blow,  drew  his  pistol,  but  his  arm  was  seized, 
the  room  filling  with  Indians,  and  his  head  was  cut  to  pieces. 
He  lingered  till  near  night.  jMr.  Rogers,  attacked  at  the  water, 
escaped  with  a  broken  arm  and  wound  in  the  head,  and  rushing 
into  the  house,  shut  the  door.  The  Indians  seemed  to  have 
left  the  house  now  to  assist  in  murdering  others.  Mr.  Kimball, 
with  a  broken  arm,  rushed  in;  both  secreted  themselves  up¬ 
stairs. 

“Mrs.  Whitman  in  anguish,  now  bending  over  her  dying 
husband  and  now  over  the  sick,  now  comforting  the  flying, 
screaming  children,  was  passing  by  the  window,  when  she  re¬ 
ceived  the  first  shot  in  her  right  breast,  and  fell  to  the  floor. 
She  immediately  arose  and  kneeled  by  the  settee  on  which  her 
bleeding  husband  lay,  and  commended  her  soul  to  God,  and 
prayed  for  her  children  who  were  about  to  be  made  a  second 
time  orphans. 

“In  the  meantime  the  doors  and  windows  were  broken  in 
and  the  Indians  entered  and  commenced  plundering,  but  they 
feared  to  go  into  the  chamber.  They  called  for  Mrs.  Whitman 
and  Mr.  Rogers  to  come  down  and  promised  they  should  not 
be  hurt.  This  promise  was  often  repeated,  and  they  came  down. 
Mrs.  Whitman,  faint  with  the  loss  of  blood,  was  carried  on  a 
settee  to  the  door.” 

A  few  moments  later  Mrs.  Whitman  was  killed  as  she  lay 
on  the  settee,  pierced  by  many  bullets.  Then  she  was  scalped 
by  an  Indian  named  Tam-suk-y.  Mr.  Rogers  was  shot  at  the 
same.  time.  The  children  who  crowded  into  the  corners  were 
saved  from  death  by  the  appeal  of  an  Indian  more  humane 
than  the  rest  who  cried,  “Do  not  shoot  the  children.” 

This  was  only  the  beginning.  The  Cayuse,  assisted  by  the 
Walla  Wallas,  rushed  to  the  houses  of  the  settlers  and  killed  a 
number  of  them.  In  all  fourteen  were  slain,  nine  the  first  day, 
but  the  fate  of  those  who  died  then  was  more  fortunate  than 
that  of  many  of  the  party,  women  and  children  carried  away 
captive  by  the  murderers.  A  number  of  the  captives  died.  The 
others  were  ransomed  after  two  awful  weeks,  through  the  author¬ 
ity  and  generosity  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company. 


19 


SERIES  OF  TWELVE  PROGRAMS 


Course  Number  One 
(Now  available) 

JAMES  CHALMERS,  Martyr  of  New  Guinea 

JAMES  GILMOUR,  Pioneer  in  Mongolia 

WILFRED  T.  GRENFELL,  Knight-Errant  of  the  North 

ADONIRAM  JUDSON,  Herald  of  the  Cross  in  Burma 

ION  KEITH-FALCONER,  Defender  of  the  Faith  in  Arabia 

DAVID  LIVINGSTONE,  Africa’s  Pathfinder  and  Emancipator 

ALEXANDER  M.  MACK  AY,  Uganda’s  White  Man  of  Work 

HENRY  MARTYN,  Persia’s  Man  of  God 

ROBERT  MORRISON,  Protestant  Pioneer  in  China 

JOHN  G.  PATON,  King  of  the  Cannibals 

MARY  SLESSOR,  The  White  Queen  of  Calabar 

MARCUS  WHITMAN,  Piero  of  the  Oregon  Country 

Course  Number  Two 
(In  preparation) 

CAPTAIN  LUKE  BICKEL,  Master  Mariner  of  the  Inland  Sea 

WILLIAM  CAREY,  Founder  of  Modern  Missions 

ALEXANDER  DUFF,  India’s  Educational  Pioneer 

MARY  PORTER  GAMEWELL,  Heroine  of  the  Boxer  Rebellion 

FRANK  HIGGINS,  Sky  Pilot  of  the  Lumbermen 

ROBERT  LAWS,  Founder  of  Livingstonia 

RAYMOND  LULL,  First  Missionary  to  the  Moslems 

JOHN  K.  MACKENZIE,  The  Beloved  Physician  of  Tientsin 

JAMES  COLERIDGE  PATTESON,  Martyr  Bishop  of  the  South 
Seas 

ALBERT  L.  SHELTON,  Pioneer  in  Tibet 

J.  HUDSON  TAYLOR,  Organizer  of  the  China  Inland  Mission 

JOHN  WILLIAMS,  Shipbuilder  in  the  South  Seas 


No.  239-M.E.-I-iM-June,  1925 


Booklets  25  Cents  Each 

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